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What began as pest control in Lima’s Miraflores neighborhood has become one of the city’s most charming and unexpected attractions.
When rats took over a park in an upscale neighborhood in Lima, Peru, cats were brought in to solve the problem. Years later, the cats remain, only now, they’ve become minor celebrities.
Today, people travel to Parque Kennedy in Lima’s Miraflores neighborhood just to see them. The cats can be found napping on the park’s grass or sharing a bench with a visitor. They come in all colors and sizes, and, true to their feline nature, mostly ignore their camera-toting admirers—unless treats or head scratches are involved. Some will crawl onto your lap or pause for a pet, while others shyly observe the park’s visitors from the tree branches overhead.
Scattered around Parque Kennedy are multi-level “cat hotels” and bowls generously filled with food and water. One particularly sturdy handmade cat house with a red tin roof has a sign facing the plaza that reads: “Hello, I’m your friend Maggycuky and I promise that if you feel cold, I’ll be your coat.”
I stumbled upon Parque Kennedy while looking for a playground with my daughter during a June 2026 trip to Lima. A friendly orange tabby came over to us as we entered the park and promptly rolled on his back, asking for stomach scratches. The more we walked through the park, the more cats we saw.
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This hidden gem—at least for cat lovers—is found in the upscale neighborhood of Miraflores. Adjacent to the park is a beautiful neoclassical Catholic church and a lineup of restaurants with tables that spill out onto the park’s walkways and plazas. In the middle of it all is a cat-themed souvenir vendor selling magnets, pens, and bags showcasing the famous Parque Kennedy cats.
According to local legend, and later documented by Atlas Obscura, a rat infestation in the 1980s is what first brought the cats to Parque Kennedy. Now, they are not only welcome at Parque Kennedy, they are the park’s biggest attraction. Local animal rights group keeps the cats fed, watered, and sheltered, in addition to arranging medical care when necessary.
Today, it is apparent that the cats have been fully embraced by the people of the city. Handmade cat houses topped with cozy, pillow-filled baskets sit alongside more elaborate cat hotels. Just across the pedestrian walkway, the larger Parque Central de Miraflores appears to have also embraced the neighborhood’s feline celebrities; a flashy cat hotel stands near its entrance, bearing the branding of the Indonesia–Latin America Business Forum held in Lima in 2024.
It’s a small, but telling reminder that the cats of Parque Kennedy have earned admirers well beyond the neighborhood.
Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
